Nightmare
by LilyMoon'sAlias
Summary: RenoCloud.  Some hurts will not allow themselves to be forgotten.  Written for nekojita.  Final Fantasy and characters owned by Square Enix, not me.


The dream...no, call it what is was...the nightmare finally released Cloud to leave him a panting, shivering, sweating mess. His muscles still trembled involuntarily with the memory of fighting for his life. Drawing a deep, calming breath, Cloud flicked his gaze to his lover. Reno slept near him in a tangle of long red hair and softly glowing pale, naked skin. A frown marred his pretty features but eventually smoothed as Cloud grew calmer, clearly indicative that Cloud's moods affected his lover even in sleep.

Cloud forced himself to lay down and winced at the damp, clammy feel of the sheets. It had been a bad one this time, the one where he was still Hojo's prisoner and most favorite toy. He could live his whole life, fill it with the best of memories, and still that dark, desperate, pain and desolation filled time in his life would still rise to torment him at whim. No, not always at whim. Cloud knew what had triggered it this time.

Reno had just returned from a week long mission deep in the wastes of the desert. Although he never spoke much of his job, both for security reasons and a tacit respect for Cloud's dislike of all things Shinra, Cloud knew that it had involved the finding of a hidden laboratory. Cloud had gleaned that bit of information more from Reno had not said than what he had. His lover had come home bruised and battered, unnaturally pale and with his eyes shadowed and haunted by what he had seen. He had actually flinched when he had entered his apartment to find Cloud waiting for him. He had smiled at Cloud, but it was a thin veneer that did not nothing to cover something dark and edged.

Taking the initiative for once, Cloud had led Reno to the bathroom and filled the over sized tub with steaming hot water. He never said much, but he wasn't so self-absorbed as to not know that others dealt with the more fetid side of life as well. Cloud had seen it more than once, that look on Reno's face that said he was exhausted and skating the edge. Reno had been unusually attentive that night, urging Cloud into the tub with him and gently tracing each scar on Cloud's body with a hint of pain in his eyes, but every time he had seen Cloud watching him he had smoothed his face to blankness.

Cloud felt the familiar curl of guilt in his stomach. It wasn't right that his ugly past should cause his lover pain. He sat up again with the intent of putting some distance between them. Then he sighed in exasperation. He couldn't just break things off either. Reno had finally convinced him that running off caused just as much hurt to the people who cared for him.

A soft sound pulled him from his thoughts. Reno was sitting up, his improbable hair mussed and obscuring his eyes. A calloused hand stroked his shoulder hesitantly.

"Cloud? Can't sleep?"

"Nightmare," Cloud mumbled.

Reno's face tightened imperceptibly and his lips thinned.

"Anything I can do?"

"No." Cloud winced at the sound of his own voice. He hadn't meant to sound so cold.

Reno just pulled on his shoulder, urging him to lay down again. The redhead softly stroked his chest and pressed light kisses to his temple and cheek. Cloud tried to shrug out from under his lover's touch.

"Reno...I'm don't want..."

"Shh," Reno soothed. "Just relax, Cloud. Rest and let me watch over you for a while. You don't need to do anything but rest."

"You don't have to," Cloud mumbled, his eyes already drooping with tiredness. His body relaxed slowly under Reno's light touches. He trusted Reno. He couldn't explain it. It was just a fact.

"I...need to, Cloud." Reno sounded almost embarrassed. What he had seen in the laboratory had sickened him before he had the satisfaction of seeing the whole place blasted into atoms by a string of Rude's explosives. Considering the look of grim satisfaction on his partner's face Rude had been similarly effected and was most likely spending the night in silent vigil over his own lover.

Cloud curled closer to Reno's body, the warmth of bare skin relaxing him further. On the edge of sleep he heard Reno whispering into his hair.

"They can't hurt you ever again."

Cloud shuddered. Oh yes, they could. Even from beyond the grave, Hojo and his lackeys could still hurt him and they did. He forced himself to focus only on the loving touch of someone who didn't want to use him and fell into dreamless sleep. 


End file.
